References on a Resume
Should you include them, how to list them, and how many references you need.

First things first: what are references on a resume? They’re the people who can tell an employer how well you worked: the managers, teammates and clients who engaged with you regularly. Prospective employers may request references to contact at the end of the hiring process to gather some insight on your performance.

Before we dive deeper, here’s why the advice on this page is worth following. I’m a former Google recruiter and I’ve handled thousands of hiring processes during my 13-year recruiting career. I now run a resume writing service to help engineers and tech professionals get hired. I conducted reference checks myself numerous times, and I’ll tell you how it actually happens behind the curtains.

I’m often asked by candidates whether they should include references on their resume, and my general advice is that they shouldn’t. Employers are growing increasingly worried about personal information, and the screening process exposes your references. Your resume gets copied into applicant tracking systems (ATS), job boards and recruiters’ inboxes, and your references’ mobile numbers go everywhere it goes, potentially without consent. To mitigate the legal risk, some of the modern ATS may filter your resume out because of your references.

The resume screen is also the wrong time to provide references: at that stage, the focus is on whether or not your profile is relevant to the open role. The need for references comes later, once they’ve interviewed you, liked what they heard and want to make sure you’re who you say you are. So should a resume have references at the screening stage? No: they do nothing for you there.

And “References available upon request” tells the recruiter nothing: an employer who wants references will ask for them. That’s why none of my resume templates have a references section.

The exception: a job posting or application form that asks for references up front. Then give exactly what it asks for, in the form’s own fields (if it has them).

How do you put references on a resume, then? As mentioned, ideally you don’t: the best place to put references is a separate reference sheet. That should be a one-page document that lists your references, with strongest first. For each reference, I’d recommend adding these 6 data points: full name, job title, company, mobile number, email, and how you know each other.

Here’s a resume references example for a mid-level systems administrator:

If an application form or a survey link asks for references, they will most likely request these exact details, so prepare and have them ready once you get invited to a final interview.

How many references should you have on a resume? Though there is no universal rule, the generally accepted number is 3, in both private and public sectors. A 2005 report from the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board calls three a “magic number” that reference checking professionals support, and the SHRM survey it quotes found employers check an average of 2.7 references per candidate.

What’s more important than the total number is the number of quality references. As you can guess, not all references are equal in the eyes of a recruiter. For example, they’ll care much less about a co-worker’s opinion than your previous manager’s assessment. For that reason, I strongly advise including at least 2 previous managers within your references.

The total reference count also depends on your seniority. If you’re a junior without experience, recruiters won’t care much about your reference. In another scenario, if they’re hiring a Director-level position, which includes more risk, they might ask for 5 or more and conduct detailed background checks.

I know that my answers in this section feel like a big “that depends”. The table below should give you some clarity, with safe case-by-case guidance you can follow.

• Internship, new grad Who should be on it: 1 manager (an internship supervisor or a professor counts) and 1 or 2 others 2 to 3 references at least 1 manager
• Junior to mid-level Who should be on it: 2 managers and 1 peer or stakeholder 3 references at least 2 managers
• Senior, staff, people manager Who should be on it: 2 or more managers, peers, and someone who reported to you if you manage people 5 references at least 2 managers
• Executive (director, VP, CTO) Who should be on it: Bosses, peers and direct reports from the last 15 to 20 years 6 or more references at least 2 managers +

Once you know how many, the next natural question is: who should you put down as a reference in your resume? As mentioned, the people you choose matter more than the number of references. Also, depending on your professional situation, whom you can ask can differ greatly.

So let’s do this: I’ll first give you a ranking of referral types, and I’ll also tell you whom to ask based on your seniority. This should give you a clear actionable reach-out list, before we get to the reach-out template.

1. 1 Direct manager The “gold standard” of references. The person deciding on hiring you is your future manager. Naturally, they care most about your previous manager’s opinion.
2. 2 Your boss’s boss A second-level manager carries a lot of credibility. That’s because they’re higher in the hierarchy, and if they accepted to be your reference, it means your results were convincing enough!
3. 3 Senior stakeholders Leaders from other teams who relied on your work. They can speak to your impact beyond your own team, which matters more as you get more senior.
4. 4 Clients Very few candidates list clients on their resume, and it’s probably because they don’t think it’s an option. It definitely is, and I personally think it’s one of the best types of references you can provide. If you’ve served a client so well that they’ve accepted to be your reference, you’re probably pretty good at building relationships. If it’s part of the role you’re targeting, that’s great evidence!
5. 5 People you’ve managed If you manage people, include someone who reported to you. Reference surveys for senior roles ask about leadership and managing others, and they’re the ones who can answer.
6. 6 Peers Team play is important to every company, and your ability to work well with others is a key decision point in hiring. As a recruiter, I had to reject many so-called “brilliant jerks” who had remarkable brains but didn’t deal well with others. Including peers helps mitigate that worry.
7. 7 Professor Professors or instructors are also authority figures who can speak for your ability to learn, take feedback and conduct yourself in a professional environment. They make good referrals too!
8. 8 Classmates Though these are most likely to be catalogued as your “friends”, classmates or project teammates can be a good substitute for peer references.

You might have some other ideas for referrals. That’s fine, but check them against the “banned” list below. These are people who shouldn’t be on your reference list.

• Relatives Family members can’t judge your work objectively, which is obvious to recruiters.
• Your HR department HR can be tempting to add to your resume, but these references tend to be weak because they can’t vouch for your actual work. If an HR is called as your reference, they’ll mostly say that you’ve been on time and had no disciplinary issues.
• Friends who never worked with you A friend can vouch for your character, which is not entirely useless, but recruiters want someone who saw you at work. You should be able to find better references ;-)
• Your current boss, if they don’t know Remember that references may get a call. Anyone who doesn’t know you’re leaving should stay off your list, unless the surprise is intentional! No recruiters will expect you to list your current manager: they understand.
• Anyone who hasn’t said yes Always ask first. A reference who didn’t expect the call won’t give you their best answer, even if they want to help. More importantly, you shouldn’t share personal information without consent!
• Someone from 10 years ago Avoid listing ghosts of your past. It will be hard for them to provide detailed feedback. Even if they could, your work from 10 years ago isn’t relevant to what you can do now.

Alright, now let’s plan your reach-outs together. You’ll find a suggested references list for each career stage, so that you know whom to contact first.

There is one more case: security roles that require special clearance. These would most likely provide a strict list with an entirely different guidance to follow, so I’d advise following these first. For example, the SF-86 asks for 3 people who know you well outside work, whose combined time with you covers at least the last seven years, and it bans spouses and other relatives.

Now that you know who should be your reference, you need to ask them. It’s crucial to get consent first from both legal and hiring outcome standpoints. CareerBuilder’s survey found that 15% of respondents had listed someone as a reference without telling them, and 62% of employers said a listed reference didn’t have good things to say. This means a prepared reference is more likely to give great feedback.

Senior people in your reference list might be busy and in high demand. Yet, you might be on a tight schedule to provide your references, so here’s how to ask and get quick responses.

My recommendation is to first call your desired reference so that you can provide more context, and to then follow up by email. The call is important because it allows you to prepare them to answer the questions they’ll most likely be asked. Remember that you’re asking for a favor, so you should make each approach personal and targeted.

1. Step 1 Tell them why you chose them Make this part personal. Let them know that you enjoyed working together, that you learned a lot from them and that you believe they’ve seen you grow up close.
2. Step 2 Tell them what is expected of them Explain the format: a call from the recruiter or a short online survey by email. Mention that it may take 10 to 20 minutes of their time, and give them a realistic timeline so that they can get ready. Also mention the type of questions they may be asked (see the “What Employers Ask Your References” section below).
3. Step 3 Give them info about the role Send them both your resume and job description via email, and give them a quick outline of what the role is and why you’re a good fit. This provides them with context on what the hiring decision will be based on, and feeds them the response to one of the key questions.
4. Step 4 Remind them of relevant work you did together Refresh their memory on 2 or 3 projects or engagements you’ve both been involved with. Remind them of what you accomplished and what results were obtained. Again, your references are most likely going to be asked exactly this, so it acts as preparation.
5. Step 5 Confirm their email and mobile number Confirm the email and phone number they want to use for the reference. These might differ from the contacts you’re using to communicate with them. Also ask if you can share their LinkedIn profile: this can add extra credibility.

Here’s how to email your reference after the call, to provide extra detail and get a written confirmation:

Now that we’ve covered how many references you need, whom to choose, and how to ask them, you might be wondering what happens next. You’ve probably never been on either hand of a reference call, so you might be curious. Or maybe a referral of yours wants to know what they’re going to be asked before accepting.

During my career as a recruiter, I conducted many reference calls. I’ve done them both as a headhunter and as an internal recruiter: they’re all essentially the same. In this section, I’m going to tell you exactly how these reference calls are done and what questions are asked.

Let’s talk about the format first. From experience, reference checks are conducted in one of 2 ways: a 15-20 minute phone call from a recruiter, or a form to be filled by the reference themselves.

Regardless of the option chosen by your future employer, questions will remain similar, so if you can understand and prepare for these, you can provide some useful context to your references. For that reason, I’ve compiled a list of the 6 main reference check questions.

They’re mostly going to check the accuracy of the claims you made on your resume and during interviews (questions 1 & 2 below), ask their opinions on your strengths and weaknesses (questions 3 & 4), and test how well you worked with others (questions 5 & 6). Almost all other questions will be variations of these.

1. Question 1 · Relationship

   How do you know the candidate, and when did you work together?
   Why they ask

   First, the recruiter will check that your reference really worked with you closely enough to judge your work. They will also compare the job titles and timeline with your resume. The goal here is to confirm the accuracy of your statements, as well as fit for the reference itself. If you’ve chosen the right reference and provided accurate details, this is an easy win.

   Ideal answer

   I was Jordan’s direct manager at Harbor Credit Union from 2022 to 2025. Jordan joined as an IT support specialist and was promoted to systems administrator in 2023. We worked together every day.
2. Question 2 · Role

   What was their role, and what were they responsible for?
   Why they ask

   This question is asked to confirm your responsibilities, scope and degree of involvement. Many candidates lie on their resumes by overstating their part in projects they had little to do with. As I mention in my resume writing guides, a resume should remain factual. That’s why I advise sending your resume to your reference prior to the call: it ensures their recollection of your involvement aligns with your CV.

   Ideal answer

   Jordan looked after our Microsoft 365 setup and the monthly patching for every branch. Jordan also led our move to Microsoft 365. I approved the plan, and Jordan ran it from start to finish.
3. Question 3 · Strengths

   What are their main strengths?
   Why they ask

   Now we’re getting to the real questions. Prospective employers benefit greatly from a third-party opinion of your strengths. So they’ll ask that standard HR question, most likely followed up by a request for evidence. Again, that’s why you’ve sent a list of key projects to your reference: they’ll be able to use these as examples.

   Ideal answer

   Jordan is reliable and stays calm under pressure. One Monday, a bad update locked staff out of their computers at several branches. Jordan had everyone back in before the branches opened, then wrote down what went wrong so it wouldn’t happen again.
4. Question 4 · Areas to improve

   What areas could they improve on?
   Why they ask

   The weakness question works the same way as the strength one, except that it is harder for a reference to answer it. They won’t go through the effort of doing the “frame your weakness as a strength” trick, and they’ll probably answer honestly. This is trickier to prepare for, and this is the question that leaves you most vulnerable. My advice is just not to stress over this one: it’s out of your control.

   Ideal answer

   Early on, Jordan tried to fix everything alone instead of asking for help. We worked on it together, and within a few months Jordan was handing tickets to the help desk and telling me about problems much earlier.
5. Question 5 · Teamwork

   How do they work with others, handle pressure and take feedback?
   Why they ask

   Next, they’re going to ask tougher questions to dig up proper evidence on your performance and behavior. With this type of question, they can check a range of competencies: ability to work under pressure, take feedback, collaborate with stakeholders, etc. Because you’ve already provided context on your projects, your reference should be able to provide detailed proof.

   Ideal answer

   Really well. Jordan explains technical problems in plain words, so the branch managers trusted Jordan. When I gave feedback, Jordan listened without getting defensive, and I’d see the change within a week or two.
6. Question 6 · Rehire

   Would you hire them again?

   Or: “Would you want to work with them again?”
   Why they ask

   Usually the last question, which can be deceiving. It sounds easy, because you’d expect most references to answer positively. However, what they are judging is the reaction. Did your reference hesitate? Did they say yes and suddenly nuance their answer? Was it actually a “yes, but...”?

   Ideal answer

   Yes, without a second thought. If I had an opening on my team tomorrow, Jordan would be the first person I’d call.

I wrote these questions from experience, and survey data confirm that these are the focus areas. In an Accountemps survey of 2,800+ U.S. senior managers, the top thing they wanted from references was a view of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses (38%), then descriptions of past duties (22%), then confirmation of titles and dates (19%).

The same managers said they remove as much as 34% of candidates after checking references. In CareerBuilder’s 2012 survey, 69% of employers said a reference had changed their mind about a candidate, 47% for the worse.

I wrote this article from experience, which I completed with survey data. Every figure on this page comes from one of these sources: check them out!